US935382A - Apparatus for wireless telegraphy. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES r rnur OFFICE.

GUGLIELMO MARCONI. OE ADELPHI, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR' TO MARCONI WIRE- LESS TELEGRAPH' COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUcLinLMo MARCONI, LL. 1)., D. So, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at W'a'tergate House Adelphi, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Wireless Telegraphy, of which the follow ing is a specification.

According to this invention instead of the usual spark or arc in the. oscillating circuit of a wireless telegraph transmitter, the discharge is caused to take place across a small gap between metal surfaces in relative motlon at a very high speed. One of the surfaces may conveniently be a disk or similar rotatable device having a continuous surface and adapted to rotate so that its peripheral speed isone hundred meters per second or more while the other surface may likewise be a rapidly rotating disk or similar device in which case the actual speed of each disk need not be so great though the relativespeed should preferably reach the value given. The disk may be entirely insulated and rotate between a pair of disks which are connected in an oscillatory circuit containing a condenser and an inductance, the condenser being connected to a source of electromotive force. Or there may be a pair of disks rotating in the same plane, in the same direction and in close. proximity to one another, the two disks being included in' the oscillatory circuit.

The drawings are diagrammatic representations of transmitters made in accord auce with this invention. 4

In Figure 1 (1 is a metal disk which is'car-' ried on a stand I) insulated from the ground and is capable of being rotated at a very high speed from anelectric motor turbine or other convenient machine connected for instance to the belt pulley a. 0 c are disks supported one on each side of and very close to the disk rt by insulated uprights d (Z. These disks are connected to a condenser e and ind uctance f, this circuit being connected either inductively as shown or else conductively to an aerial conductor or antenna g which is connected to earth or to a capacity in the usual way. Each plate of the condenser c is connected to a generator h, suitable inductances or resistances i being included in the connections. The disks 0 may be rotated if desired and may be cooled by water circulation or otherwise.

APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS TELE'GRAPHY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 28, 1909- Application filed April 10,

190s. SeriaLNo. 426,184.

I11.Fig. 2 the balls or disks are replaced by a disk 0 which can be driven by means of the pulley c and inay besimilar to a which is now connected in the circuit of the condenser and inductance as shown.

In all cases the source of electromotive force h may be a continuous current dynamo, alternator, battery, or transformer.

By the arrangements of my invention as above set forth I am enabled to produce e1ectrical oscillationsin the sending or transmitting circuit without using a. makeandbreak interrupter or other similar device for pro ducing intermittent currents or discharges through the spark gap. The spark gaps are short and therefore require comparatively little power to produce the disruptive discharges and the oscillations. The high relative periphe'al speed of the disks forming the spark gap or gaps prevents arcs from 7 forming and produce rapid oscillations. Such speed must be above a certain critical point, depending upon the size of said disks, and Whenthe speed is above this critical -point, oscillatory disrupting discharges are produced between the disks, without the tormation of arcs and without the use of other circuit interrupting devices. No complete explanation of the phenomenon involved in the production'of such discharges is at pres- 35 ent apparent, but I have found that the apparatus is extremely efiicient for producing theresults attained, as Well as being of an usually simple construction. There are no metallic contact breaking points to become worn orwhich may get out of adjustment.

If it be necessary to use a higher-electromotive force than that which is suiiicient to arise a discharge across one or two small gaps the number of sparks may be'increased.

The oscillations transmitted through space can be detected at a receiving station by means of the well known receivers or detectors employed for wireless telegraphy, it being especially desirable when using trans- 1 mitters constructed in accordance with this invention to utilize to the utmost the principle of resonance in'the receivers which should preferably contain a responsive oscillation circuit with as little damping as possible. What I claim is 1. A transmitter for Wireless telegraph apparatus comprising,a plurality of metall c bodies having continuous surfaces and lo cated adjacent each other so as to form a 110 means for -ausing a movement of said bodies velocity.

spark gap. means for causing a movement of said bodies so'that said surfaces have a high relative velocity to produce disruptive dis-- rl 1arges in the gap between said bodies.

2. transmitter for wireless telegraph apparatus comprising. a plurality of metallic bodies having continuous peripheral surfaces and located adjacent each other so as to form relatively short spark gaps. means for causing a movement of said bodies sothat. the surfaces of a plurality thereof have a high relative velocity to the surface of another of said bodies, thereby producing disruptive dis charges in the gaps between said bodies.

2-). In a transmitting apparatus for wireless telegraphv, an oscillation generator comprising rotatable bodies having continuous surlaces separated b v a relatively small spark gap. a condenser having its terminals connected with 1 said bodies respectively. means for charging said condenser. and

so that their surfaces have a high relative t. In a transmitting apparatus for wire less telegraphy. an oscillation generator comprising a disk having a continuous rim, a disk situated to form a spark gap with the first named disk, means for causing a rela tive movement of said disks, so that their surfaces have a high relative velocity, conductors leading from the source of current to said disks respectively, a condenser connected in shunt between said conductorsQand l an aerial operatively connected with said col'iductors.

In transmitting apparatus for wireless telegraphy, an oscillation generator comprising terminals consisting of two adjacent and rotatable disks, an intermediate disk situated so as to form spark gaps with said terminal disks. means for causing a relative movement of said disks so that their surfaces have a high relative velocity. conductors leading -from the source of current to the t'erminal-v disks, a condenser connected in shunt between said conductors. and a transformer in one of said c'oiuluctors. connecting the same with the aerial.

(3. In a transmitting apparatus fonwireless telegraplrv. an oscillation generator comprising disks of metal, a source of direct current. means for producing uniform polarity of high potential at the periphery of said disks, :1 eoiuluctor leading from one pole of the source of current to one disk and operatively connected with an aerial, a second conductor leading from the other pole to the other disk. a condenser placed in shunt be tween the two conductors, an intermediate disk between the first named disks. and means for. rotating said intermediate disk at a high speed.

GUGLTELMO MARC/0N1.

\Vit nesses .lliuvnv W. ALLEN. (l. WAiau-us.

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